


Case File 99

by Xiubaek13 (slavetotheking)



Category: Big Bang (Band), Block B, EXO (Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Demons, F/M, Fae & Fairies, Urban Fantasy, Vampires, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-15
Updated: 2017-09-15
Packaged: 2018-12-30 03:27:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12099696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slavetotheking/pseuds/Xiubaek13
Summary: Prompt: You meet Minseok in a bar and swear that you know him from SOMEWHERE but have no idea where, but now you have to do something about itPairing: Minseok x ReaderA/N:  This was for a one shot challenge done on tumblr with @thesammtimes @soobadnoonecanstopher @3kpop2jagi1 @artificialskyway & @forexcapism but I’m leaving it open to further one shots in the future. If you like this AU please let me know who and what you want to see and I will make a small list to work on. There are 3 pieces of dialogue in here that are not mine. I have borrowed them from Scott Lynch and his amazing Gentlemen’s Bastards series. I recently reread the 3 books and couldn’t word the dialogue in these 3 spots any better





	Case File 99

Rain pelted the windows of your corner office, only adding to the dreary day you were having. You said corner office but you could hardly call it that. It’s not like you worked in some big office building for a massive corporation. No, you worked out of a rundown apartment in the shadier part of town. Still, it had a big glass window that wrapped around the corner of the building and rain was pelting against it. The only people that ever sought you out were in desperate need of your skills. Photographic memory, ability to sneak or talk your way into almost anywhere (except for that one demon club downtown), an unhealthy amount of supernatural knowledge and a general fuck it attitude were among some of your more specific skills that seemed to bring in the clients. If a person went missing and couldn’t be found, you got a call. If one of the supernatural got a little too public with its existence, you got a call. If something was just plain weird, you got a call.

 

After one too many run ins with the law, and one extremely close call, Detective Markham had worked out exactly what you had been doing every time they found traces of you at a crime scene. Since that day you’d been given a small amount of trust to sort out the less human problems in the city and once you’d been given the freedom to emerge from the shadows without fear of being arrested and thrown in a psychiatric ward, you’d realised just how fucked up your city was.

 

It would actually be fair to say that humans thought they controlled a lot more of their city than they actually did. You had worked out that the city was divided into 6 very uneven sections. The largest parts went to the vampires, the demons and the fae, then the werewolves, other beings and lastly the humans. The humans bled into all the sectors, unbeknownst to them the danger they put themselves in or the nature of those they worked for. They had no idea that the coexisted with non humans and you couldn't help but laugh at how enterprising the supernatural were. Minhyuk the incubus ran the local sex shop (and business was booming), Heechul the changeling and his mix bag of supes ran one of the malls and Hyojong the ghoul was the local mortician to name a few.

 

You worked right near the border of the demons territory which meant the streets were always littered with addicts, working women…sometimes men, the odd counsellor trying to help, and travellers for hire. The travellers were chameleons in this city. They could change at will to blend in to the sector they wandered in to so if you needed someone to scout an area or find names for you, you sought out a traveller. They were an information only service though. If you actually wanted to get anything done you either had to do it yourself or pay through the teeth to get it.

 

In these quiet periods you occasionally wished for the ignorance you once had when you would never have believed in anything other than humans. But, life was rough growing up and you had seen some shit that defied explanation. Then when a friend of yours went missing at the ripe age of 16, a traveller sat you down and explained everything to you. At first you called him crazy but he dragged you all over the city and pointed out the things that were ‘other’ about the residents. Things you ignored if you weren’t looking. Like how some of the ‘people’ moved too fast, how all of their eyes changed, the differences in emotions, how they held themselves, their walks, the agelessness and the sheer cunning in all of them. It had shaken your world view and altered it for the rest of your days.

 

Sure the humans had their fair share of bad eggs but after seeing the supernatural for the first time you started to notice all of the ways people were manipulated for them. The vampires dealt mainly in brothels and hospitals. It was a good cover for bruised glassy eyed people and blood supplies as well as a good means of disposing of bodies. The demons dealt in contracts, so their sector had the lawyers, the high rollers and gamblers. The werewolves dealt in drugs and weapons since it allowed them to give in to the carnage they desired. The fae were the smugglers. They were who you looked to if a person just disappeared. The vamps at least had the decency to take adults and toss them back after they were done. The fae took children. they took anyone who might interest them for a few hours. Then you never saw them again. 

 

They were the jobs you hated the most. You knew you’d hardly ever find the people you were looking for, and from the few encounters with the high fae over the years, any conversations you had with the fae required all of your wits. They were more cunning than the demons with how they could talk you round in circles without ever helping you. Entering their territory had its own set of dangers and it was ultimately never worth your time.

 

A sharp knock at the door broke your reverie. You spun in your chair and waited. Like hell you were getting up, the last three times someone had knocked it was for deliveries to the wrong apartment, salespeople or charity. So this time you decided to wait in your chair and see if they came in. They knocked a second time and still you waited. If whoever was on the other side of that door was seeking you out and they’d ventured through the city to your apartment block, through the gang territories, drug addicts and drunkards, then they weren’t leaving until they saw you. The handle turned and the door opened slowly, creaking loudly. You’d fix it but it was a good makeshift security system. No one came in through the door without you knowing about it.

 

“Hello?” A voice broke the silence. “Um, is anyone here?”

 

“If you aren’t here to try and sell me a product, a religion or a donation then come in. Otherwise fuck off.”

 

A young woman entered the apartment, closing the door behind her. If you had to guess you’d say she came from uptown, the section controlled by the demons, she looked too put together to be from any other area of town. Her eyes were wary but determined as she approached your desk. “Det. Markham gave me this address. Said you might be able to help me.” She took a seat opposite you and waited.

 

“I might be able to. It’ll cost you but I’m sure Markham told you that already.” The woman nodded. “Alright, what seems to be the problem?” You leant back in your chair. If Markham had sent her then it was probably an actual case, now you just had to determine if it was worth the risk.

 

“My sister went missing a week ago. She’s a nursing student and had been having night classes at the hospital. We live in uptown so she had a bit of a journey home each night. She’d always let me know when she was leaving and how she was getting home. That night I got a text saying she was catching the 2.45am bus but she never turned up. I reported her missing and the cops looked for any trace of her for the past week but came up with nothing. Markham gave me your card and told me you might be able to find something they missed. Please help me, my sister is all I’ve got and someone took her from me.” As she spoke, the desperation and loss ebbed into her voice. She was genuinely upset about her sister. You were going to have to call Markham to make sure there weren’t any details you should know about this case but it sounded like the vampires were involved. Your guess was she’d either been attacked or turned. It could also be the fae but you were hoping that since she went missing in vamp territory that the fae weren't involved.

 

“I’ll have a look into it and see if I can find anything for you. It’s a $200 upfront fee for services and then more as the investigation progresses based off the risk involved. I should know by tomorrow if there is anything to go off but I’ll get you to give me all the information about your sisters movements that week that you have.” The woman nodded and pulled out a binder and handed it to you.

 

“That has basic info on Juliet, that’s her name by the way, her hobbies, class schedule, travel routes, what she wore that week and more. Anything you need should be in there.” She handed you a wad of money and turned to leave.

 

“I assume that there is a number to contact you on in here too?” She nodded. “Alright, leave it with me. I’ll do what I can.”

 

 

“So what you’re telling me is that you found nothing?”

 

“Yes. It was weird, if I didn’t know better I’d say someone was trying to make it look like she never existed. When we first looked she still had insurance and bank accounts and a mailing address. Now all of that is gone. Medical history, gone. That’s why I gave her sister your card.” Markham’s voice crackled through the receiver as you leafed through the binder you’d been left.

 

“I’m guessing vamps. It’s their territory and they have a tendency to delete records when they need to.”

 

“And if it was them?”

 

You sighed. “Then Juliet is either dead, a plaything or a baby vamp. I can only get her back if she’s the second option but that won’t be pleasant.”

 

 

The club was in full swing by the time you arrived. The music hit you, the dirty bass jerking your pulse to its beat. You wove through the throng of bodies writhing on the dance floor, seeking out one person. You scanned the bar and the booths tucked in the far corner of the club. Out of the light and obstructed by shadows, you spotted him. The lime green hair was a dead giveaway, pun intended. You observed from a distance, taking in his features. His skin was unmarred, save for the tattoos you could spot on any of his exposed skin. He looked up and stared straight at you before pointing a finger at you and beckoning you over. His brows were significantly darker than his hair and his eyes, dark and mesmerising.

 

You’d heard a lot about the head of the vamp clan, Kwon Jiyong, but you had never spoken to him before. Tonight was a first. You’d requested a sit down with one of the clans higher ups but you had expected your usual contact, Seungri. You approached the booth and tried to get a feel for the leader of the vamps. You had questions and no plans to overstep your boundaries while you were in their territory.

 

You took a seat opposite him. He leant back and settled into a more comfortable position in the booth, never breaking eye contact. All vampires had a special quality to their eyes but his were enthralling. He smirked and you got a hint of the mischievous side you’d been warned about.

 

“Thanks for meeting me. I have to say I honestly didn’t expect you to turn up. Usually it’s Seungri.”

 

“He was otherwise engaged tonight. You requested a meeting with someone high up so I figured since I was free why not send you the highest up in my clan.”

 

“I won’t beat around the bush. This isn’t a social call after all. Since we haven’t met before I’ll introduce myself. I’m a P.I. I’ve been hired by someone who is trying to find her sister.”

"Does this P.I. have a name?"

"You can call me Sophrosyne. Syn for short." you replied.

 

He chuckled, giving you and indignant look. "Greek gods? Really now."

"Names are currency in these parts. This is the name I go by. My true name is not up for discussion." He raised his hands, not in surrender but more as a show that he was willing to move on.

His gaze lingered on you. Vampires were unsettling in that they stared. A lot. “And you think it’s got something to do with us?” You nod. “Why?”

 

“The girl in question was taking night classes at the hospital and her records have been scrubbed.” A small frown ghosted across his face. If you hadn’t been watching him for any signs of reaction you would have missed it.

 

“Mmm I see why you came to ask questions. It makes sense. I can tell you this much though. It wasn’t us.”

 

“Forgive me if I sound rude but I’m gonna need more than that if you actually want me to believe you.”

 

Jiyong sighed, an action that was completely unnecessary for him. “We have not made any new vampires in the past fortnight and we have not disposed of any bodies that would fit her description. If she was taken by us, she’ll be in one of the brothels. We wouldn’t scrub her records for that though so it’s unlikely that we have her. You are welcome to check, I’ll send word to answer your questions if you should turn up at any of our fine establishments.” He smirked as he finished his last sentence, amused at the thought of you visiting every brothel in his section of town.

 

He leant forward, all signs of mischief gone from his face. “We aren’t the only ones to scrub records darling. If I were you I’d check uptown then the west. If she was taken downtown then you might as well tell whoever is looking for that she’s dead because if the fae have her, she’s never coming home.”

 

You nodded. You had the same plans. Vamps were the most likely suspects but if it wasn’t them then you were off to see the demons next. They were sly but civil. The wolves were tenacious so you had to pick your moments with them. The fae… well you were hoping to avoid setting up a meeting with them. “I planned on leaving them til last. I have connections with the other 3 factions but not the fae. I’d need all my wits about me before questioning them.”

 

Jiyong raised an eyebrow. “And you don’t need your wits about you with the rest of us?”

 

“I understand how each of you work. I’ve had dealings with each of you in the past. I’m not saying that makes you predictable or safe because lord knows you’re all dangerous but the fae are a whole other monster.”

 

You settled into a conversation with the head of the vampires. You could see the cogs turning in his brain every time you answered one of his questions. He was gracious, offering you a tidbit of his or his clans life whenever you answered him. There was no doubt in your mind that this man was also cunning and ruthless, one doesn’t remain the head of a clan for so long by simply being nice.

 

You noticed a man standing at the bar, his body turned towards your booth. He was swirling a glass of whiskey in his hand. His lilac hair stood out amongst the crowd of darkly clothed club goers. He was staring down at his glass as if it was the most interesting thing in the room. Something kept dragging your focus from him and no matter how hard you tried you couldn’t keep your eyes on him for more than a few seconds. It was like something was willing you to not notice him. You turned back to Jiyong to mention him but when he asked you what this man looked like you couldn’t pull a single feature from your mind to share with him.

 

Jiyong tried to pull details from your mind for the next twenty minutes before giving up. He called a guard over and had him search the club for fae. The guard didn’t find anything which didn’t surprise either of you. After an hour the two of you parted ways. He wished you luck on your investigation but told you not to hold out much hope. What you didn’t tell him is with any client, you presumed them dead until a piece of evidence told you otherwise.

 

The next day you headed uptown into the middle of demon territory. You made your way through the tent city on the outskirts, the alleys full of passed out addicts and hovels with working girls. The derelict buildings only represented the edges of the district. The edges were where you went if you’d run out of luck but didn’t want to leave the district. It was where you found yourself if you still thought you could win it all back. No one ever won it all back, beating the demons was unheard of. As you continued on the buildings became nicer, sleeker and colder. There was no warmth in this district. Courts, legal offices and casinos were big business here. Not to mention all of the stores catering to the high rollers. Car dealerships, designer fashion, award winning restaurants and more were places around the central business district.

 

At the epicentre stood The Cardinal, a luxurious, exclusive and extremely well guarded casino. It was where the demons had based themselves and it was fitting really, each sin was well represented inside those walls. To gain entry you were required to prove your wealth and you had to look the part. It was like most casinos in that you rarely ever beat the house but the similarities stopped there. If you ran out of cash other bargains could be struck with one of the 7 owners if you were dumb enough to make a deal with them.

 

You had heard stories about con artists who had tried to scam the place and the tales you had heard were not pretty. It would be very, very unfortunate if one of the 7 were to realize that and patron to the establishment were counting on what one con artist had liked to call ‘discreetly unorthodox methods’ to win the game – hell, it would be preferable to simply lose the old-fashioned way, or to be caught cheating by the normal attendants. They, at least, would probably be quick and efficient executioners. They had a very busy establishment to run. If, however, one of the 7 caught you, you would wish you were dead.

 

You had earned yourself free entry into The Cardinal after you had been tricked into catching one such con artist. At the time you hadn’t known you were hired by a demon, they were cunning like that. Avarice, or Yoongi as he had requested you refer to him, was cutthroat when it came to losing what he saw as rightfully his. The way he saw it, someone was out to take his money, and he saw that as a personal attack. You never asked what became of the con artist and frankly you didn’t want to know.

 

Over the years you had used the demons for their knowledge. Very little happened in the entire city without their knowing. Not surprising when you were dealing with demons. Even less surprising after you realised that the district was run by the seven deadly sins. In hindsight, Avarice was a little on the nose but demons always had weird latin names and you weren’t always bothered with translating them.

 

You had learned quickly that in order to deal with the demons and not end up as one of their victims you had to be extremely adept at double speak, specifics and manipulation. They were masters at the art of talking unsuspecting humans around in circles, promising them the world all the while tricking them into selling their souls, eternal servitude or death.

 

You made your way up the stone steps and spotted one of the bouncers sidestep to block you from entering the building. You turned your head towards one of the security cameras and blinked, waiting. A moment later the bouncer moved out of your way. You inclined your head at the camera before continuing up the steps to the entrance of the building. You paused in front of the doors that would lead you inside. Once you crossed that threshold it was a sensory overload and if you weren’t careful you’d never leave. Normal casinos were designed to fully immerse the gamblers into a world where time doesn’t exist, money is constantly won and where they directly influence the odds. The Cardinal did all of that and more. The windows were actually black reflective glass so if you looked at them you would never see the outside, only the interior of the casino. The layout was deceptively simple but if you strayed from the main aisle you could lose yourself for days. There were no clocks so that gamblers lost track of time, servers provided free food and booze to gamblers and if you weren’t gambling they’d tell you which machines were the good ones and which tables you’d win at in order to coerce you into gambling. Each of the three floors had different music, noises, lighting and scents. The kicker was that each room might just have one of the seven deadly sins in it, influencing the gamblers every move.

 

You bypassed the ground floor and headed straight up the stairwell to the main bar. You didn’t have a meeting set aside with Yoongi because you refused to give him any advantage when you needed to get information out of him. The less time he had to prepare, the better. You didn’t expect to find him in the bar area but you needed one of the others in order to gain access to whichever high stakes room he was more than likely in.

 

As you sat and waited for your drink the youngest of the seven dropped into the seat next to you. “I see you are taking your sin literally tonight Jungkook.” He smirked back at you.

 

“Well when you look this good…” He chuckled. He knew he was attractive, his body and charms were a weapon. Tall, dark haired, well built, strong but not imposing, thighs to die for, killer smile and that way of talking to you like you were the only person in the universe. Jungkook was dangerous to anyone he went after. Lust was definitely in his element in the casino and tonight he was not going for subtlety. Every other time you’d been here he’d been in a perfectly tailored suit that accentuated every feature that he wanted to highlight. Tonight he was in black skinny jeans, a collared shirt that was being held together with two buttons and a leather jacket. He exuded sex appeal and you needed him to leave the room. You couldn’t afford to waste any of your mental fortitude on anyone other than Yoongi tonight.

 

You reminded yourself why you were here and spoke. “I need access to whichever private game he’s running tonight.” 

 

Jungkook shrugged. “He’s not running one tonight.”

 

You raised an eyebrow at him, not believing the statement. “I’m not kidding, I have information to swap with him and some questions.”

 

Jungkook leaned forward and ran a hand through your hair. “And I told you, he isn’t running any of the private games tonight. V & Jin are. A bunch of foreign businessmen arrived earlier so those two get the honours for the night.”

 

You refused to break eye contact or allow yourself to notice how he had moved closer to you or all of the little touches he’d given you since sitting down. You did not come here to be seduced by Lust. No, you came here for a far more idiotic reason, to try and get Greed to give up information for free. “In that case where is he?”

 

Jungkook spun your body around on your seat so that he could stand right behind you. He extended his arm over your shoulder and pointed toward the other end of the floor before speaking in a sensual tone in your ear.. “He’s down near the roulette and blackjack tables. You could always just stay with me though. Surely we could work out a deal.”

 

You shook your head and removed yourself from his clutches. “You’d stand a chance if I didn’t know what you are. Unfortunately for you, I know better than to get involved with Luxuria.”

 

He grinned as you got up to leave. “Ah but that’s what makes it fun for me. When I finally do win you, you will beg for me.”

 

You waved as you walked off. “Keep dreaming on that. Never gonna happen.”

 

You scanned the area as you reached the blackjack tables. So far you hadn’t spotted him at any of the tables or walking the floor. You were getting ready to go back and chew Jungkook out for wasting your time when you finally spotted him. The mess of white blonde hair, the dark eyes observing the room hungrily from a recess in the room was unmistakably Yoongi. He glanced at you and raised an eyebrow. You approached him and took a seat in the recess next to him.

 

His low rasp startled you. “It’s fascinating to watch them revel in their greed. They hardly even need my influence on this floor, it’s almost like they think they could win.” He chuckled. “They know deep down that they cannot win, that no one beats the house, but still they try.”

 

“If they don’t need your influence then why bother making an appearance on this floor?”

 

“To recharge. I don’t need to influence them but I can feed off their greed.” His dark eyes gleamed. “And there is so much to feed off.” He waved a hand in your direction. “You aren’t here for a social visit so what do you want?”

 

“I have some questions for you about a case I’m working.”

 

You would have missed the gleam that flitted across his eyes if you hadn’t been looking at him to gauge his response. The vices were always easy to pander to, the difficult part was getting what you wanted unscathed. “What are you offering in exchange for my answers? You know nothing is free inside these walls.”

 

“Between 40 – 100% of the physical assets, gold, property, valuables etc will go to you. The percentage depends on the state that I find my client in.”

 

“80 – 100%”

 

“55 – 100%. No more. All I require from you is information, you don’t even have to move from this spot.”

 

He thought about your offer as he watched the humans throw their money down at the roulette tables, as if they stood a chance at winning. Their greed was palpable. “Fine. I will answer 3 questions. If you require more than that then we renegotiate the terms of our deal.” Clever. It was a smart move. This way he would gain some knowledge about what your case was and then he could figure out just how badly you wanted to solve it. He was trying to use your need for answers against you. It was not likely that he would budge from the initial offer of three questions so you got to work on the phrasing, you could not afford to leave any cracks for him to evade answering you.

 

“Agreed.” He shifted in his seat to face you, providing you with his full attention. “A girl went missing on her way home from night classes at the hospital. She lives in this territory. Every night she would call or text her sister to let her know she was on her way home and which bus she was on. The night she went missing she texted her sister to say she was leaving the hospital but she never arrived home. I initially thought vamps because by the time I was hired all of her records had been wiped. It’s as though she never existed. I met with Jiyong and questioned him about the circumstances. After talking it out I can safely say I’ve eliminated the vamps from suspicion. That now leaves demons, wolves and the fae.”

 

“Not even considering humans for this?”

 

“The police sent the sister to me after they came up with nothing. They’ve had similar cases over the past few months and have never found a body or a suspect. Humans just aren’t as adept at making multiple people disappear without a trace.”

 

“Careful now Syn, that almost sounds like a compliment.”

 

“Question 1: In the past 10 days have any deals/bargains or agreements been made that resulted in the disappearance of a girl named Juliet on her way home from class at the hospital?”

 

“No.”

 

“Question 2: Where was she taken?”

 

“It’s flattering that you think I know the whereabouts of everyone in this city.”

 

“You have eyes on every person who lives in your sector and she lives here. Answer the question Yoongi.”

 

He smirked at you. “Away from her home.”

 

You mentally kicked yourself for not making the second question more specific. That was a rookie mistake, something you were not. “Question 3: Specifically, what building in which section was she taken to?”

 

Yoongi glared at you as he pondered how to respond. He eventually sighed. “This particular inhabitant of this sector was abducted before she reached the border. She was taken downtown so you might as well forget about ever finding her. I don’t know a specific building because fae territory doesn’t abide by the normal laws of physics.”

 

You slumped back into the recess. Fae territory meant bad news. You weren’t even sure if the case was worth pursuing at this point. When the fae took you, you never returned. The travellers had many stories about what happened if you got taken by the fae but that’s all it was, stories. None had ever met anyone who had been taken and returned.

 

You stared out at the blackjack table and tried to work out what you were going to do. To proceed would mean putting your life in danger but you hated the idea of throwing in the towel and giving up. You were pulled from your thoughts as Yoongi nudged your leg with his. “So, my payment…”

 

“Are you trying to be annoying or does it just come naturally?

 

“It comes naturally. But really, what percentage?”

 

You scowled at him. “I’m not sure yet.”

 

“Wait. You aren’t seriously going to pursue this are you?”

 

You shrugged. “I’m not sure yet.”

 

He scratched the back of his head and stared back out at the casino floor. You resumed watching the blackjack table. A man grabbed your attention. He was good enough of a cheat to not get noticed by the staff or guards but you were sure that he was cheating. The most common thing people tried to do was count cards but it was extremely obvious unless you were a master at it. This man wasn’t counting cards. He was a good player but he was drugging the other players. It was subtle but you spotted the slight touches and the residue that the players couldn’t see. Their betting became more extravagant and their actions less logical so he was naturally cleaning up at the table as a result of their bad bets. “Table 12, red hair and black suit.”

 

Yoongi quickly looked to the table you mentioned and watched as the game progressed. “That fucker thinks he can steal from me does he? Well. We’ll see about that.” He stood and turned to you. “I can provide extraction from the fae sector for you.”

 

Your head snapped up to look at him. There was no way he would ever offer something for nothing. “At what cost?” you asked.

 

He shrugged, a cold smile growing on his face. “If you die I get everything you own.”

 

You tried not to laugh. What exactly did Yoongi think you owned? Your shitty apartment was full of second hand furniture and you had lived a minimalist life , not by choice, so your version of everything was a lot less than he must have thought. “Deal.” You responded. “Try not to kill the guy before questioning him this time.”

 

He grinned at you, his gummy smile completely changing his face. “Got to mind the delicate social nuances when you inform some poor fellow that he’s a dumb motherfucker.” Yoongi turned and disappeared in the crowds.

 

You returned to the bar, thankfully Jungkook was busy and was leaving you alone. You drank your whiskey in peace and watched the crowds. You’d always been fascinated by people and observed their behaviours whenever you could. You could tell a lot from watching a person who had no idea they were being watched. The Cardinal was full of liars, deceivers, criminals and the selfish tonight. Everyone you observed was trying to swindle their opponent and get rich. Observing that grew boring rather quickly.

 

A tuft of lavender hair across the room stole your attention. Piercing feline eyes stared back at you, cutting through the crowds like a laser. As soon as you stared into them they seemed to disappear. If it wasn’t for the fact that you could still see the lavender hair you would have believed you’d imagined it. You had no idea why you were so drawn to the man with lavender hair but you couldn’t shake the feeling that you’d seen him before.

 

 

You stood at the threshold between the fae sector and the human sector. You had spent the remainder of last night organising how you were going to ensure yourself safe passage in and out. You’d called Juliet’s sister to update her on the case, she’d quickly agreed to your higher fee in the hopes that you could return Juliet to her. Zico, head of the werewolf clans, had given you directions to the main bar in the fae sector. He’d told you that it was the main hub for getting information and that you might be able to get some of your questions answered there. He had told you not to hold out much hope though. The fae were very private and getting direct answers out of them was like drawing blood from a stone. Yoongi had struck a deal with you that promised he could get you out of the fae sector and demons never failed to deliver when a deal was struck so that made you feel a little safer.

 

You’d talked with sprites that had moved to the mixed sector and they’d given you rules to follow. Don’t eat or drink anything while in the fae sector or you’ll never leave and if you were to run into one of the princes, bow and leave. According to the sprites, the emissaries to the fae sector were the ones who did all of the dirty work like kidnapping girls but the princes were a different matter entirely. The princes could alter your mind and make it so that you’d never want to leave. They could bring you untold pleasure or unbearable pain.

 

Lastly, you’d called Detective Markham and told her what you could about the abduction and what she was to do if you disappeared. She wished you luck on your rescue operation but reminded you not to sacrifice your own safety just to close a case. That was a little hypocritical coming from her but you had promised her you’d try. Anything more would have been a lie.

 

So you stood at the threshold trying to talk yourself into crossing the invisible border. You stood at the threshold convincing yourself that you weren’t an idiot to try and find this girl. That you could enter this sector and come back out unscathed. That you wouldn’t need to call in any of your contingency plans to get you the fuck out of there if everything went sideways. You trusted in your abilities. You weren’t just any human, you were skilled in areas that others weren’t and you trusted that you could either get the job done or confirm that Juliet was a lost cause. Either way you would walk back out across the border in a few hours. You squared your shoulders and took a deep breath and then stepped into the fae part of town.

 

The bar was not like you had expected. You weren’t sure what you’d expected but a tiki themed bar had definitely NOT crossed your mind. It was weird. Surely it was a joke of some sort, or an illusion. Zico had told you about some of the powers the fae had and the drugs they used. He’d given you a dose of something that he said would remove glamour and allow you to really see what was happening but standing in the middle of the tiki bar… you weren’t sure that it had worked. Barmaids were dressed in coconut bras and grass skirts, tropical looking drinks and fruits were being served and there was weird rainbow coloured candy in bowls all over the bar. You felt like you were at a frat party not in a fae bar. They were supposed to be scary… this was the opposite of that.

 

You watched as another girl wandered around the bar, clearly enthralled by the theme. She eventually made it to the bar and ordered some weird blue drink and the bartender dropped a piece of the rainbow candy in it. He was speaking to her as he stirred her drink and she was giggling at the attention. Part of you wanted to go and stop her from consuming a drop of it but you needed to see what happened when she drank it. She lifted the drink to her lips and took a sip through her straw. Nothing happened. How anti-climactic. She took her drink and moved to a table in the far corner to continue enjoying her drink and staring around the bar. Seriously how could a tiki theme be this engrossing for a person? You were actually starting to wish for something to happen to her so that she’d stop staring at the tiki torches like they were the most exotic thing she’d ever seen in her life.

 

As soon as she sat down an orange haired man appeared. The way he held himself made you think he was potentially one of these princes Zico had warned you about. There was a cunning gleam in his eyes as he made a beeline for the girl and sat opposite her. You cursed under your breath. You could only see her face as he spoke to her and you watched the flirty smile and body language that she was offering up. As you continued to watch you notice the desire in her eyes build but you also saw something else. Fear. As he continued to speak to her you watched that fear and apprehension grow. She shook her head in response to something he said and he shrugged, moving to get up and leave. She grabbed his hand and begged him not to leave her. It was surreal. Here was this woman in front of you who was clearly terrified but begging to go with the very person who terrified her. She nodded at something he’d said and then they both left.

 

“It’s rude to stare you know.” A light voice pulled you out of your tunnel vision of the recently vacated table. You nearly jumped out of your seat when he’d spoken.

 

“You might need to tell yourself that if you were watching me long enough to decide that I was staring.” You turned around in your seat to see who was speaking to you. When you turned you were met with an empty seat.

 

“You were hardly subtle about it. Sitting at a table alone, no food, no drink, not blinking…” This time you did jump as the voice now sounded from opposite you on the table. You turned back around and staring back at you was a fae man. You knew he was fae because no human looked that good. It simply wasn’t possible. The man staring back at you had the most mesmerising eyes, feline in shape. You felt like you had looked into these eyes before but you couldn’t remember when. He watched with a smirk on his face as you took in his appearance. The lavender hair, that stood out. You were certain you’d seen him before.

 

“It’s also rude to invade a person’s space without introducing yourself.” You bit back. This guy clearly thought a lot of himself because he scoffed at your words and leant forward on the table, placing his head on top of his hands and raising an eyebrow at you. You hated how good he looked while doing that.

 

“I like doing things I shouldn’t. I don’t feel guilty. I don’t feel remorse. Why should I tell you who I am?”

 

You sat back in your chair, wishing you had a whiskey right now. “Well, simply put, it would be rude of you not to introduce yourself now.” There was something about this guy. If any other being irked you like this you wouldn’t have tolerated it but something about him made you keep your cool. You mind was trying to work out when you’d seen or spoken to him before but it was coming up foggy. You had a niggling feeling that he had been keeping an eye on you over the past few days but you had no proof. You weren’t stupid though, you knew someone had wiped part of your memory. The foggy emptiness that a memory wipe left behind was something you’d seen in clients over the years but it had never happened to you.

 

He chuckled at you. “Is this how you treat everyone you meet?”

 

“Stop evading the question.”

 

“What, and ruin the air of mystery I have working for me? No I don't think I'll give you a name yet.”

 

You leaned forward, closing the gap between the two of you. “Why won't you tell me your name?”

 

”Because that would be telling.” He took a sip of his whisky and licked his lips “Since when do you need a name to enjoy someone's company?”

 

It might have been his eyes, the way he just licked his lips or it might have just been the strange feeling of familiarity he gave you that caused you to respond with “I can think of at least one good reason.”

 

That caught his attention, earning you another smirk. He placed his glass on the table in front of him and used his free hand to push your hair behind your ear, slowly trailing his hand along your jaw until he reached your chin, which he lightly grasped. “I do wonder what that reason could be. You make it sound so very enticing. Did you notice that I never asked for your name?”

 

You smirked. “Names are dangerous to throw around, especially with the fae.”

 

He sighed. “You ruin the fun so quickly. Fine. Why are you here kitten?” You glared at the pet name he gave you. “What? You don’t want to give me a name. I have to come up with one myself.”

 

You centred yourself and reminded yourself not to get into an argument with the fae. This guy seemed playful enough now but if you pissed him off you could tell you’d regret it. “I came to ask some questions about a missing girl.”

 

He sat silently, waiting for you to continue. “She went missing a week ago from the hospital. It wasn’t humans, vamps or demons that took her. Her records were scrubbed so now it appears like she never existed. The last sighting of her was 5 days ago as she was taken across the border into this territory.”

 

He raised an eyebrow at you. “And?”

 

It took all of your will not to snap at him. Why would he give two shits about the life of a human? You described her to him and handed him a photo of Juliet. “So my first question is; have you seen her?”

 

He nodded. “Yes.”

 

“Who took her?”

 

He sat back in his chair, swirling his whiskey. “How much do you know about our kind kitten?”

 

“Enough to know that you are clever and dangerous.”

 

He laughed, actually laughed at you. “I meant our history but it’s good to know you aren’t stupid like that girl you were staring at earlier.”

 

You scrunched your nose as you thought. “Not much. No one is really all that forthcoming with fae history lessons.”

 

He set his glass on the table and sat up straight. “There are 9 fae princes. 4 belong to the seasonal courts, summer, spring, autumn and winter and 3 belong to the solar courts, dawn, day and night. There are 2 emissaries, one to the seasonal courts and one to the solar courts. The emissaries are the ones who frequent the human world. The other princes are supposed to remain in their lands and not venture out into the human world but they are easily bored so sometimes they visit to observe and to choose new playthings. If they find a plaything, the emissaries collect said plaything for them and transport it to the fae lands. These 9 princes are said to be devastatingly handsome and dangerous. They each have a power that helps their court flourish and grow... Why are you laughing?”

 

“Sorry but if you could see your face when you said devastatingly handsome. Ego much? So, is the point of this history lesson to tell me that Juliet was taken by one of the two emissaries and is now a plaything in one of the courts?”

 

He narrowed his eyes at you. “Be careful how to address me now. I ignored your earlier rudeness since you did not know my status. Now that you do, I won’t ignore your lack of manners or tact any more. It is true, Juliet now resides in one of the courts.”

 

Your shoulders dropped. If she was in one of the courts and not somewhere in the city there you had no hope of getting her back. You hated cases with bad outcomes but no one ever entered the far realm and came back. Once you entered, you were as good as dead in the real world. The man across from you noticed the shift in your mood and pouted slightly. “You could get her back. For a price.”

 

You shook your head. “Deals with demons are iffy enough, striking deals with the fae? That’s a whole different problem. The price is always too high, and 90% of the time the deal is worded in such a way that it only benefits the fae.”

 

He smirked at you. “You might find that you enjoy this one.”

 

“I can’t make a deal with anyone if I don’t know their name.”

 

“I thought you specialised in dishonest finesse?”

 

“I also do a brisk trade in putting knives to peoples’ throats and shouting at them”

 

He narrowed his eyes at you. “Something is different, you weren’t able to focus on me before. Why is it that you can now?”

 

“A little wolf helped me get past your glamour.” You paused. “Answer one more question for me. Have we met before?”

 

“Oh my dear, if you remembered you would blush.” He bit his lip and stared at you brazenly. “I will make an addition to my terms. I will secure passage for Juliet, the girl from that picture who went missing from the hospital last week, to be returned to her sister unscathed, not remembering anything about her time in the fae lands if you agree to tell me your name, allow me to remove the glamour on your mind and live in my court for one month. After the month is over I will offer to wipe your memory and return you or let you keep your memories and return you.” He took a swig from his glass and chuckled at the look on your face as you tried to process the fact that you had met him before and apparently had some sort of history with him as well as how specific he had been in wording the deal. “See, fae can make detailed deals when we want to.”

 

“How do I know you or anyone else won’t harm me?”

 

“No harm shall come to you whilst under my protection, which will last from the moment you enter the fae lands until you leave a month later.”

 

You mulled the proposed deal over in your head. It seemed fine, your only concern was that you would have to go to the fae realm for a month. “I will agree to your terms with a few additions. 1. The normal fae rules for food and drink consumption will not apply to me whilst under your protection. 2. You will tell me your name during this month. 3. You will allow me one phone call before I go with you and 4. Juliet and her sister will remain safe.” He agreed, his lip curling upwards as you sealed the deal with a handshake. A small brand appeared on your forearm in the shape of a snowflake. “Winter court I assume?” He nodded.

 

You dialled and waited for your call to be answered. He picked up after 3 rings. “What?”

 

“Yoongi, the extraction plan we made a deal on, if I am not back in The Cardinal in one month send someone to my office. If I’m not there, extract me from the winter court.”

 

Yoongi’s low rasp sounded “Are you really this dumb Syn?”

 

“Your missing citizen will be returned tomorrow. I’ve struck a deal and I’d like to think after all these years hanging around you lot I’ve picked up on a thing or two.”

 

“Just remember what happens if you die.” With that he hung up.

 

The prince of the winter court had a devilish smirk on his face as he approached you which unsettled you. “I’m going to show you a memory that was wiped before we leave.” He raised his hand to your face and cupped it. Memories of your night at The Cardinal came flooding back to you. How you’d followed the lavender haired fae to the bar and tried to flirt in order to work out who he was. He’d played along, toying with you. He’d moved you into a small private booth in the bar and allowed you to push him down into the booth and straddle him as you drunkenly tried to get answers out of him, the lust and desire clouding your mind. You should have left the casino earlier, the effects of the sins, namely Lust, were starting to get to you.

 

“Yes, I think I'm starting to see why you might want my name.” He rolled his hips against yours causing you to cry out. “Do you want to know my name?”

 

“Yes!” You panted. He was giving you pleasure but holding back, yet to touch you where you craved it the most.

 

“Hmm, I think you're going to have to earn the privilege. Think you can earn it Syn?” You responded by kissing and nibbling at his neck whilst removing his tie and unbuttoning his dress shirt. Then you started to kiss your way down his chest and slid yourself down off his lap until you were knelt in-between his legs. You ran your hands up the inside of his thighs and bit your lip. The memory then faded.

 

He whispered into your ear. “For the record, I know your name. You are still working on getting mine.” You were blushing as the memories remained with you, embarrassed at what you’d seen. He took your hand. “Ok, time to go. A deal is a deal. As soon as you enter the fae realm you are under my protection and Juliet will be sent back home.” He tugged your hand and started to walk towards the back of the bar. The wall shimmered and he waited for you to step through.

 

The last words you heard before stepping across the threshold were. “You have a month to earn my name.”


End file.
